Johannesburg – The man entrusted to run a R900m food-security project on behalf of government, is not paying his bills.
City Press revealed on Sunday that Deebo Mzobe, President Jacob Zuma’s cousin who manages the Masibambisane rural-development initiative NGO that Zuma chairs, has six default judgments against him for the nonpayment of school fees, loans and personal debt.
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By Obakeng Maje
Klerksdorp-Four suspects have been arrested for alleged robbery in Klerksdorp.
North West police in conjuction with their Gauteng counterparts allegedly managed to put four suspects behind bars on Friday.
A congolese, three Somalians and a South African were allegedly arrested at Nigel, in the East of Johannesburg after a tip-off.
“A member of community called police after allegedly saw four suspects off-loading goods at a certain house” Pelonomi Makau said.
Police said the goods were allegedly stolen from a courier company in Klerksdorp.
Two suspects allegedly approached two employees of the company and pointed them with a firearm.
Two victims were heading home after work when approached.
They allegedly ordered them into a vehicle and head back to the company where robbery took place.
“The suspects were joined in by their accompliace and allegedly fled the scene with a company car that was found abandoned on Stilfontein road” police said.
Four suspects will appear at Klerksdorp Magistrate Court on robbery charges.
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Johannesburg – A man has been arrested for allegedly running over a Mpumalanga traffic officer, the provincial community safety department said on Saturday.
“The resultant accident happened [on Friday night] when one of the traffic officers, manning a routine operation, attempted to stop a Sedan which failed to stop,” spokesperson Joseph Mabuza said in a statement.
“The driver, who sped off immediately after the incident, was pursued by one of the traffic officers who brought him back to the scene.”
The incident happened on the R23 between Standerton and Val.
The officer was airlifted to Milpark hospital in Johannesburg.
The man was arrested within 1km from the scene.
He was charged with attempted murder, and reckless and negligent driving.
Another traffic officer suffered minor injuries due to the man allegedly resisting arrest.
The man was expected to appear in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
SAPA
East London – Rhodes University Law Clinic this week confirmed that it had regarded some of the Mandela applicants, who took Mandla Mandela to court, as indigent and covered their costs.
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Johannesburg – A woman drowned when her truck plunged into the harbour in Durban on Saturday, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
Transnet National Ports Authority contacted the NSRI around 11:30 after a container truck had driven off pier 102, NSRI Durban deputy station commander Andre Fletcher said.
Police and emergency services were already on-scene when the NSRI arrived.
After the truck had gone into the water two men believed to be port authority staff jumped into the water, said Fletcher.
The two men recovered the body of a 25-year-old woman, the only occupant of the container truck.
The woman was declared dead on the scene by paramedics and her body handed over to police forensic pathology services.
Police have opened an inquest docket.
SAPA
Cape Town – Defeat, in itself, being inevitable for even the mightiest of limited-overs sides at times, the manner of surrender is often a more pertinent talking point.
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Johannesburg – Gauteng Economic Development MEC Nkosiphendule Kolisile served the country with excellence, dignity and integrity, government said on Saturday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time of bereavement,” Government Communications and Information System spokesperson Phumla Williams said in a statement.
“Kolisile served our country with excellence, dignity and integrity and he will be sorely missed. He was indeed a great role model.”
Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said Gauteng had registered the largest rise in jobs over the past four years and Kolisile’s role was acknowledged and appreciated.
“The tragic death of our colleague… Kolisile has robbed us of a dedicated leader who has been at the centre of economic development and a partner in small business development and youth employment,” he said in a statement.
Earlier, Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane said Kolisile served with zeal and vigour.
Making way for ambulance
“As testimony to his passion for serving the poor… Kolisile recently handed over three houses to the elderly and people living with disabilities on Mandela Day [July 18],” an emotional Mokonyane told reporters in Johannesburg on Saturday.
He was participatory in thorny matters such as the liquor legislation, she added.
Kolisile was killed in a head-on collision with a truck in the early hours of Saturday morning on his way to a funeral in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.
“We were told the MEC’s vehicle was making way for an ambulance, when they went into on-coming traffic and collided with a truck,” Mokonyane said.
Kolisile and his bodyguards Sergeant Tebogo Motsei and Constable Tshepo Jobo, died on the scene. Mokonyane said their families had been informed.
A delegation from the Gauteng executive council paid a visit to Kolisile’s wife.
Condolences
The Gauteng Tourism Authority expressed shock at Kolisile’s death and said he was a compassionate man.
“He was a vibrant lively personality, a true leader and team player and his energy and enthusiasm about the tourism sector potential unsurpassed,” chairperson of the board of the Gauteng Tourism Authority Khehla Mthembu said.
“We have lost our compass in our journey towards an inclusive visitor economy driven destination Gauteng.”
Meanwhile, Congress of SA Trade Unions sent condolences to the families and friends of Kolisile, Motsei and Jobo.
“At a time when economic development is such a priority for the government and the country, we shall greatly miss the comrade responsible for such a crucial policy area in the province which is South Africa’s economic heartland,” spokesperson Patrick Craven said by statement.
Kolisile was humble and a hard worker, the Portfolio Committee on Economic Development said in a statement.
Hard worker
“As the committee, we are saddened to hear about the untimely death of Mr Kolisile whom we had excellent working relations… Thus, we would like to convey our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Mr Kolisile, his driver and bodyguard.
“Mr Kolisile was a humble and remarkable hard worker who was always supportive to the work of our Committee to ensure economic development in the country,” committee chairperson Mmathulare Coleman said in a statement.
Kolisile took office in July 2012 and previously served on the national steering committee which re-launched the Young Communist League in 2003.
He would be given a provincial official funeral.
SAPA
Johannesburg – Global icon Nelson Mandela who celebrated his 95th birthday this week remained in hospital on Saturday, six weeks after he was admitted for treatment for a lung illness.
Johannesburg – The SA Reserve Bank must be owned by the state in order to serve the interest of South Africans, the EFF said on Saturday.
“The general practice in the world is that governments own their reserve bank. South Africa is one of the two if not three that do not own their own reserve bank,” said Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema.
“It [Reserve Bank] regulates the interest rates and once that is in the state ownership it will be regulated to the benefit of the people, so that our people can afford to buy houses and cars without having to pay high interest.”
Malema spoke to Sapa on the sidelines of an EFF consultative forum held in Johannesburg.
The members discussed principles on which the party’s policies would be based.
One of the priorities discussed during the plenary sessions was land ownership.
Manifesto priorities
Malema said the party was clear on what would be the final policy of the organisation.
“The land issue is a national crisis. Our people have waited for the transfer of land for the past 20 years. The ANC has promised that it will deliver 30% of the land by 2014, but it has only delivered 8%,” he said.
“The majority of our people don’t have the land, to own the means of production for the development of this country.”
He said the position of the EFF on land ownership would be part of the party’s priorities in its manifesto.
“The position is that we are expropriating without compensation. We want that to be an act [of law], and before it becomes an act, our people should begin the process of occupying the land,” he said.
Malema said the state would have to resolve the dispute with the owners of the private land which will be occupied.
Consultative process
“But our people don’t have to be evicted. They [government] must stop evicting people who occupy the land.”
EFF also wanted a full audit of who owned the land and for what purpose it was being used.
“We need to know who owns the land and what are they using it for. There is a lot of abundant land which has been fenced and is not being used for anything. We want to use that land for production and creation of jobs in South Africa,” Malema said.
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi national spokesperson of the EFF said the consultative process was the beginning of policy discussion for the party.
“This was a national consultative forum which started policy conversations for the national assembly which is taking place next week,” he said.
The national assembly would be made up of representatives from all the regions and provinces, and it would conclude its EFF policy discussions next weekend.
Other policy issues discussed at the consultative forum held on Saturday were education, health, corruption and economic transformation.
SAPA
The Guardian 